Recent teaching activities saw two groups of our students travel to The Hague to engage directly with organisations involved in diplomacy, foreign policy, and international cooperation.
Earlier this March, third-year political science students visited several organisations in The Hague as part of the conflict track. During the visit, students engaged in discussions on the development of foreign policy, the relationship between research, policy advice, and policymaking, and approaches to current crises and conflicts around the world.
The programme included meetings with the Adviesraad Internationale Vraagstukken (AIV), The Hague Humanity Hub, where students also met representatives from United Nations OCHA and World’s Youth for Climate Justice, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ Department for Stabilisation and Humanitarian Aid. The visit provided valuable opportunities to exchange insights with practitioners and learn more about how international policy is shaped in practice.
On Wednesday 11 March, staff and students from the MA course Governance and Diplomacy in a Multipolar World, led by Gerry Alons and Guangyu Qiao-Franco, also travelled to The Hague. The group visited the Clingendael Institute and the Tweede Kamer der Staten-Generaal (House of Representatives), where students gained first-hand insights into Dutch diplomacy and parliamentary policymaking, including its influence at the EU level. At Clingendael, students participated in a series of “speed dating” conversations with policy experts.
Dr Qiao-Franco reflected on the experience: “What made the visit especially rewarding was seeing our students in action. They presented their stakeholder analyses to MPs with impressive professionalism, clarity, and confidence, and engaged thoughtfully with questions and feedback. It was a great moment to see them translate what they have been learning in the classroom into a real policy setting. As teachers, moments like this are incredibly rewarding.”
Together, these visits highlight the importance of connecting classroom learning with real-world policy engagement.